Related Stories

Shane Doan is committed to re-signing with the Phoenix Coyotes if Greg Jamison is aboard as team owner. But with a potential lockout looming, that could be a big "if."

Doan, an unrestricted free agent since July 1, revealed Thursday in a radio interview that he and the team "have a deal worked out" that he wants signed ahead of a proposed lockout of NHL players on Sept. 15.

The long-time Coyotes captain has resisted the temptation to sign a potentially more lucrative deal elsewhere, opting to wait for Jamison to complete his purchase of the league-operated franchise.

However, with the NHL prepared to padlock next Friday, the clock is ticking for Doan and Jamison.

"I will be signed by midnight on the 15th," Doan told XTRA 910 Radio, a Phoenix sports radio station.

"I will sign somewhere. My goal is to sign here and I have told everybody."

'We have a deal worked out that we just want to make sure that the team gets signed and that everything gets done and it gets done before the 15th.'—Shane Doan on re-signing with Coyotes

"My whole focus is still with the Coyotes," he continued. "It has never, ever changed.

"If anyone has ever talked to me or I talked to other teams, I have said all along if I really believe there is a chance, I'm going to do what I can here to make it work.

"But yeah, there is a group of teams. It is actually probably down to three or four teams now, two or three teams now, that I would be looking at now."

Doan, 35, is considered the most coveted free agent remaining on the open market and reportedly received a four-year, $30-million offer from the Buffalo Sabres.

Ideally, he would prefer to ink a long-term contract with Phoenix prior to Sept. 15 — on the proviso that Jamison finalizes the purchase of the Coyotes, who have yet to rework the team's 20-year, $324-million US lease agreement on Jobing.com Arena in protracted negotiations with the City of Glendale.

"Mr. Jamison seems to be encouraged that the city is doing their due diligence to have it done here, hopefully, in the next day or two, and they can have everything done," Doan said. "Now I guess or maybe it is done already. But I haven't heard. But hopefully, they can get it done before next Friday."

'I'm not that concerned'

Though he is confident that Jamison can reach a lease agreement and, in turn, finalize the purchase of the Coyotes before next Friday, Doan is keeping his options open.

"I'm not that concerned," Doan said. "But at the same time, I'm not so naive.

"It has to end. It has to just for competitive balance for our team.

"We want to be on the same playing field as everybody and so I'm hoping that it gets done here this week. I don't think I would need too many days to get it signed after it [lease agreement] is done.

"But at the same time, if it doesn't, there's a few other teams that I've talked to. I have to make a phone call and make sure that it would work out with them."

Doan has totalled 318 goals and 470 assists for 788 points in 1,198 NHL games — all but 74 of them in Phoenix — since he was drafted seventh overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1995.